Time Will Tell
by anonymousauthor406
Summary: At first Tugger is nervous when Misto says he wants to have kits, but after a little help from Misto's magic, they both find themselves a little less nervous.
1. Changes

**_A/N:_** _Bit of an odd one this, but I thought I'd give it a try. If the summary doesn't explain the rating to you, you're probably not old enough to be reading this. This is also my first time writing this kind of encounter in quite some time so forgive me if I'm a bit rusty.  
_

* * *

The couple stood in the middle of their den, holding each others paws and not looking at each other, but into each other.

"This is a big step. Are you sure this is what you want?"

"It is. I just never thought it would be possible."

"Not tryin' to question you here or anything, but do we even have any guarantees this will work?"

"No, I guess we don't. I hope it does though."

"And what about after? Are we going to be able to go back to normal or will it be permanent?"

"Well obviously things won't ever really go back to the way they are now, but as far as the area you're worrying about is concerned, it should only last long enough to serve its purposes."

"So this is it then. We're really doing this."

"We are. Now step back, I don't want to risk anything going wrong." Mistoffelees let go of his mates' paws as they both took a step back. He took a deep breath and steadied himself. The spell he was about to attempt had taken him months to formulate, but given its intended effects he'd never been able to test it. Tugger meanwhile was doing everything to remain calm in front of his mate. Internally he was absolutely terrified, both at the prospect of Mistoffelees attempting the spell and what was to come if everything went according to plan. Of course, this wasn't exactly the opportune time for him to be voicing his concerns. He wanted whatever Mistoffelees wanted, and this was what he wanted.

Mistoffelees closed his eyes and put all his energy into the spell. In a matter of moments his body began glowing brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding and Tugger was forced to look away. He heard Mistoffelees cry out and it hurt him knowing he couldn't help his mate. Mistoffelees had made it very clear in the past that no matter what happened during one of his spells Tugger should never interfere since the odds were that things would only make things worse. As the glowing subsided, he could see Mistoffelees was about to fall and ran over to catch him. When he looked down at his mate in his arms, he nearly dropped him out of shock. The once flat chest had developed and when Tugger surveyed the other important area he found that that had changed as well.

"Misto? Misto can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can hear you. I'm just woozy not unconscious. Which means you could've just asked instead of groping me you ass," he said, giving Tugger his best stink eye.

"Unless I'm very much mistaken, you rather enjoyed my groping you just last night." From the look on his face, Tugger could tell Mistoffelees was irritated that he couldn't think of a proper retort. "So, um, is this the, uh, plan then?"

"Well yeah. Last I checked this is how kittens are made. What did you think the plan was?"

"Obviously not this! All you told me was that you were going to make it happen. How was I supposed to know _it_ meant turning yourself into a queen?"

"How else are we going to make kittens?"

"I don't know! I thought you were just going to magic them in there or something! Hell I'd've even believed it if you told me you were planning on pulling them out of a hat!"

"A hat? Really, Tug?"

Tugger let out a sigh as he sat down on the blankets and guided Mistoffelees head into his lap. "I'm sorry Misto. I'm just nervous, that's all. Before it was all talk and now, now it's becoming real. I never gave the thought of kits much thought before we were mated, and once we were I never thought it was possible. Now here we are."

Mistoffelees reached up and put a paw on Tugger's chest. "If you're not ready we don't have to. I never realized how-" He was silenced as Tugger ran a paw down his cheek.

"I don't think any couple is ever truly ready for this, no matter how much planning they put in, no matter how much thought they give it. If you think it's time, which I'm pretty sure you do given what you've just done, then it's time." They stayed there, together in silence for a few moments. "So are we going to...?"

"Not yet Tug. I'm a bit sore, and I'd like to just lay here with you a while longer." Tugger didn't say anything, he just pulled his mate up and kissed him tenderly before laying beside him and putting his arms around him as they drifted off to sleep.

* * *

When they awoke, they both found themselves feeling nervous. Mistoffelees felt like it was his first time all over again. He'd only ever been with Tugger, and though he was submissive during the vast majority of their mating sessions, he was unsure of what was to come now that he'd been changed. Tugger had been with a handful of queens and the occasional tom before settling down with Mistoffelees so he wasn't nervous about the act itself, it just felt so strange to think of taking Mistoffelees in that manner. They'd been together so many time they knew every little thing that drove the other wild; a nip of the ear, a kiss on the neck, a stroke of the thigh. Most of it would be fine, but the important bit would be considerably changed and neither of them knew what to expect.

They started slowly, gently kissing and caressing each other as they familiarized themselves with the changes that had been made. With every touch they grew bolder, with every breath heightened their desire, and it wasn't long before every one of their doubts and fears had melted away. Mistoffelees climbed on top of Tugger and ground their hips together as they continued to pepper each other with heated kisses before he slid down and began teasing Tugger's organ with his tongue. He knew Tugger almost preferred this treatment because he had sweets spots both on the tip and at the very bottom of his shaft that only he had ever found. He heard Tugger's breathing becoming more and more labored as he teased and wrapped his mouth around the organ. Moments later his mate's breath hitched and his mouth was filled with the familiar taste of his mate's release. He quickly swallowed, knowing that Tugger would quickly pull him up into a kiss and explore his mouth with his tongue, searching for any last remnants. He loved the feeling of Tugger's tongue in his mouth so he always made sure there wasn't much left so he'd stay there searching longer before throwing him down on the blankets and returning the favor. His plan worked and Tugger spent the next minute with his tongue in his mouth. This time though Tugger didn't throw him down, but slowly leaned in until he was on top, careful not to part their lips. When their lips finally parted, Mistoffelees expected him to carry on as usual, but cried out in pleasure as he instead began gently licking and biting at his nipples. In the past that kind of teasing had had very little effect on him, but this time he bucked up uncontrollably as Tugger continued his teasing and by the time Tugger had finished Mistoffelees was moaning and whimpering uncontrollably.

"You ready kit?" Tugger said, his patented smirk stretching across his face. Mistoffelees nodded and Tugger began teasing at his new entrance with his tongue. Mistoffelees trembled as Tugger's tongue ran along the edges of the opening before pushing its way in. His gasp at the removal of the tongue was quickly turned into a moan as Tugger pressed three fingers in and began stretching the opening, preparing it for the main event. Tugger removed his fingers and raised Mistoffelees' left leg up over his shoulder as he began teasing the entrance with the tip of his once again erect member. He looked at Mistoffelees when he was in position who nodded his approval before Tugger began inserting himself. Mistoffelees cried out in delight as he was penetrated. It felt similar to what he'd experienced in the past, but this time it didn't hurt as he was stretched. Tugger was enjoying himself too, he never thought Mistoffelees could look any better, but as they both approached orgasm he looked absolutely stunning. If the sight of his mate wasn't enough, hearing him scream his name finished the job and Tugger emptied himself into Mistoffelees.

He pulled out and the two of them lay side by side a few minutes, catching their breath.

"That was... wow."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"Do you think it worked?"

"I don't know Tug. I hope it did, but now only time will tell. On the other paw, part of me kind of hopes it didn't."

"What? Why wouldn't you want it to work? I thought you wanted kits?"

A mischievous grin spread across Mistoffelees face before he spoke. "If it didn't work this time, we'll have to keep on trying until it does."


	2. Explanations

"Misto? There is one thing we haven't yet considered."

"What's that Tug?"

"How in the _hell_ are we going to explain what's happened to you to the rest of the tribe?"

"I guess we'll just have to tell them we're trying. It's probably the least bizarre explanation for it. Plus, it'll give everyone a chance to adjust. Better they see me now before I start showing so they'll at least know that it did come about in the way it would for any other couple. Imagine the astonishment if I just started showing signs while everyone thought I still had my tom parts! Everyone would think they were going crazy!" They couldn't help but burst out laughing at the thought.

"I'd kill to see Jenny's face as she tried to figure out what was wrong with you!" Tugger barely managed to get the words out through his laughter.

"And how would we explain _THAT_ to the tribe? Oh I know! We could say-" Mistoffelees' laughter caught up with him and he burst out before he could finish. "We could say I was put into a trance at the Ball and I just magically became pregnant!" By this point they were both gasping for breath and clutching their sides and it was quite a while before either of them could collect themselves.

"Misto, you know how you said we'd have to keep on trying if it didn't work already?"

"What about it?"

"Well I don't know about you but I always like to stack the odds when I'm gambling, and it seems to me the only way to increase our odds is to try as much as possible, so I was thinking maybe we-"

"Shut up and get on inside of me. Now."

* * *

When they'd completed their second attempt and the subsequent grooming they stood and prepared themselves for the inevitable onslaught of questions. It wasn't uncommon for Tugger's fan club to be waiting outside their den so they could catch him first thing in the morning. Mistoffelees would usually just leave him to them and take advantage of some quiet time to himself. He loved being with Tugger and he enjoyed the company of most of the jellicles, but he was solitary and introspective by nature so he did quite enjoy having time to be alone and practice his magic and dancing or simply sit and savor the sweet solitude. Something told him he wouldn't be getting much alone time for the next few days. He took Tugger's paw in his and nodded to him before they exited their den, ready to face the storm.

The traditional chorus of excited shouts of Tugger's name was cut short as the eyes of each one of his adoring fans' eyes widened and their jaws dropped to the ground. Pouncival kept blinking, as if the image before him would somehow change if he tried hard enough. Jemima looked as if she had seen a ghost and Etcetera even appeared to be on the verge of passing out.

"Obviously you've all noticed that Misto's had some work done, but it really isn't polite to stare. Personally, I would have told them to go a bit bigger in the chest area and do a little extra tucking here and there, but that's just me. I'd still give him a solid eight out of ten, though. Okay, maybe a seven and a half-" Tugger was interrupted by a not exactly gentle smack to the back of his head from his mate. "Okay! Okay! He's a ten!"

"And?"

"And his body is absolutely perfect the way it is."

"That's better."

"Wait, so what actually happened to you Misto?" asked Electra.

"Well, Tugger and I... We decided that we wanted to have kittens and, given that we're both toms, there were a few issues with that so I used my magic to make it possible."

"So are you a queen now?" asked Pouncival.

"Umm... technically? If you go purely by the, _ahem_ , physical attributes, yes. But when I created the spell I created it so that my body would change back after the kittens are born and as you can tell, my neither my voice nor personality have been affected. So I guess the best answer to that is that I am a queen for the time being." He and Tugger answered a number of questions before Tugger finally sent his fan club on the way.

"I guess we should probably go and give my brother a head's up. Everlasting knows he'll certainly be hearing quite a bit about this."

"We should also see Victoria. I can't imagine her shock at finding out her brother is now her sister. Plus she'd never forgive me if she heard from someone else."

"Let's see her first then. I imagine Munk will be seeking us out the moment he hears about it, and I do rather enjoy seeing his face when he's both confused and cross."

"But didn't you just say we should warn him?"

"I've reconsidered. Why ruin the surprise?"

* * *

When they found Victoria, her reaction was similar to Etcetera's and Mistoffelees very nearly didn't make it in time to catch her before she fell. She asked the same questions the fan club had: what, how, why, was it permanent. At first she was more than a little skeptical of the whole thing, but as the conversation progressed she eventually warmed up to the idea.

"So when will you know if it worked?"

"Soon, hopefully. If it didn't we'll just keep trying until it does," said Mistoffelees.

"Thanks ever so much for putting that _lovely_ image into my mind."

"You're qui-" Tugger was cut off by Mistoffelees' paw covering his mouth.

"Sorry about that Vic. Sometimes I wish I had a muzzle for him. Anyway, we should probably be going. We agreed that we'd try and get to everyone as quickly as possible so they'd have as much time as possible to adjust to all this."

After a bit of deliberation, they agreed they should go see Jenny next since she'd be best to talk to Mistoffelees about the changes he'd have to become accustomed to, as well as what to expect while expecting. Just as they were approaching her den, they heard a shout from somewhere in the yard.

"TUGGER!"

Tugger turned to Mistoffelees, his patented smirk gracing his face, and said, "I do believe my brother has just heard the news."


	3. Conversations

"Tugger what is all this nonsense about Mistoffelees becoming a-" Munkustrap's voice caught in his throat and his eyes grew to the size of saucers as they fell upon Mistoffelees. "Everlasting it's true. So does that mean that the rest of it true then? That you two are trying for kittens?"

Tugger put his arm around his mate's waist and pulled him close before replying. "It is. We are trying for kittens." He turned to Mistoffelees and planted a kiss on his cheek. As Tugger began to move away, Mistoffelees put his paw on Tugger's cheek, holding him in place so he could kiss him. His tail whipped around Tugger's leg as they kissed, finally breaking when Munkustrap interrupted them.

"Ugh stop it you two!"

"What, the thought of two toms in love bothers you?"

"You know that's not true."

"Oh you're right, we all know you've got it in for A-"

"Not another word."

"Well if you don't object to two toms then..." Tugger let his sentence fade has he began heatedly kissing his mate again, who gleefully pressed himself against him.

"Oh for- You know what, forget it." Munkustrap stormed off, leaving the couple to their business.

"Why must you always insist on torturing your brother like that?" Mistoffelees asked once he was sure Munkustrap was out of earshot.

"Because I can," Tugger replied before again pulling his mate in for a kiss. "Now what do you say we put off that visit to Jenny?"

"As much as I'd love to, we're already here and I don't want to go all the way back to our den just to come back."

"Who said anything about going to our den?" He grabbed him by the rear, hoisted him up and slammed him against a nearby washing machine. As they began kissing more and more heatedly Mistofelees wrapped his legs around Tugger's waist, pulling him in. He moaned with pleasure as Tugger freed his paws from his rear and began teasing his nipples, and gasped with delight when he began pressing his fingers into his new entrance. Just as Tugger was preparing to insert himself, the couple was rather rudely interrupted by a shrill cry.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE EVERLASTING IS GOING ON OUT HERE?" They had only a moment, but were able successfully separate themselves before Jenny saw the two of them. "I should've known that you'd be the cause of the disruption Tugger. And as for you Mist... Dear Everlasting what has happened to you Mistoffelees?"

"Tugger and I decided that we wanted to try for kits and, well, this was the only way I could think of to make it happen."

"So you're a queen now?"

"For the time being. The effects of the spell I created will only last so long, but I made sure it'd be long enough for the kits to be born. After that, my body will go back to the way it was before."

"I see. So have you figured out all of the differences yet?"

"We were actually on the way to talk to you about that when we got a bit, um, distracted. We were kinda hoping you might be able to sorta explain what I should expect, things I should be looking out for, and umm... yeah."

Jenny let out a heavy sigh before she spoke. "I guess you two should come inside. We certainly are going to have a lot to cover. Just do me one favor Tugger and at least _try_ to be at least a little bit more mature than you actually are. This conversation is going to be odd enough without your... whatever it is you want to call it."

"I do solemnly swear to _try_ to be at least a little bit more mature than I actually am."

Both Jenny and Mistoffelees rolled their eyes knowing they were in for quite a bit of that in the foreseeable future, and entered the den with Tugger in tow. They spent the next hour and a half going over all the things Mistoffelees and Tugger would need to know. She started with the basic hygienic differences and moved on to the first signs they would see if Mistoffelees was to become pregnant, then to all the dos and do nots of pregnancy, and finally concluded the conversation with a bit about the signs that Mistoffelees was going into labor and how Tugger should respond. Jenny was quite surprised at how attentive Tugger was. He did make his usual crass remarks, but she was glad to see that he was genuinely concerned about the well being of both his mate and their future kittens. She'd never seen that side of him, in fact no one but Mistoffelees ever had. When Mistoffelees had told her their intentions she had been worried, both for Mistoffelees and the kittens, that Tugger was going to end up an absentee father, or worse, but his behavior had convinced her that those fears were baseless in reality. She hated to admit it, but Tugger was showing even more concern than Skimble had shown back when they were trying and preparing for kittens, and Skimble was certainly never inattentive at any point from their conception to the moment they were fully grown. After finishing with the discussion of labor, she sent the couple on their way, having told them that they'd speak in greater detail about the later parts of the process as they drew nearer. Before that conversation she had always questioned why Mistoffelees, who'd always been so intelligent and shy, would ever have even considered becoming Tugger's mate. Now though, for the first time ever, she could look at Tugger and see more than the yard flirt that everyone knew.

* * *

When the couple arrived back at their den, Tugger wasted no time in throwing Mistoffelees down onto the blankets and climbing on top of him. "Now, as I recall, we were in the middle of something when we were so rudely interrupted," he said, wearing his trademark smirk. He picked up right where he'd left off, one paw teasing Misto's nipples the other teasing his entrance. He removed his paws and began working the entrance with his tongue, finding each sensitive spot that made Mistoffelees cry out with delight. They both quickly grew tired of the foreplay and Tugger pressed in. He soon realized though that their earlier session had left him feeling pent up, and let out a quiet curse as he felt his release fast approaching. He blushed as he apologized to the rather annoyed Mistoffelees who had certainly _not_ been properly satisfied. They were both exhausted from having been hounded all day and decided they should get some rest instead of going for another round and fell asleep in each others arms.


	4. Sickness & Healing

The following morning found Mistoffelees on his knees, head suspended over the edge of a discarded bucket, hacking up everything he'd eaten the night before. Tugger knelt behind him, one paw on his shoulder to steady him, the other running along his back, hoping to provide a little comfort to Mistoffelees, who'd been in that position for several minutes and was showing no signs that he'd be leaving it any time soon.

"Remind me never to have whatever it was you had for dinner last night." Mistoffelees turned and gave Tugger his usual _Really, you're doing this now?_ look. "Okay, okay sorry. Well I guess it worked, huh? Unless you did eat something bad last night, in which case I'll stand by my original statement requesting you remind me to not partake in whatever it was you ate. If you'll be alright without me for a minute, I'm going to go find you some water for when you've finished." He stood and hurriedly went off to find the water.

A few moments later Mistoffelees felt the nausea subsiding, and let himself fall to the ground beside the bucket. He put a paw over his eyes, palm facing the sky, and lay there breathing heavily, waiting for his stomach to finally calm itself. Once it had, he propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at his stomach and placed his free paw on it. If it hadn't been real when he'd turned himself into a queen two days prior it certainly was now. He and Tugger were going to be fathers. What would their kitten look like? What would they name him? What would they name her? Would he or she love to dance like he did, or would they love to sing like Tugger? Would they be shy like him or flamboyant like Tugger? Would they inherit his magic? What if they had more than one? What if he had a full litter? How would they explain everything when their kitten or kittens were old enough to realize that she had two fathers? His pulse began quickening as he starting thinking of all the other things he'd never thought of before. What if she turned out to be a troublemaker like Jerrie and Teazer? What if he hated his parents? He felt his breath quickening as he broke out in a cold sweat and tears pressed against his eyes. What if she was ashamed of being the child of two toms? What if he turned out like Macavity?

"Misto!" He was pulled from his thoughts by his mate's voice. "Everlasting Misto, are you alright? What happened?" he asked, kneeling down beside Mistoffelees and pulling him into his chest. "Here have some water." He produced a old teacup full of water and brought it to Mistoffelees, gently tipping it so he could drink from it.

Mistoffelees drank almost all of it before he'd collected himself enough to speak. "Thanks Tug, I'm okay now. It's just, real now, you know?"

"Personally I thought it was pretty real when you turned yourself into a queen. That's just me though," Tugger replied, putting the cup down as he spoke.

"I mean, it's actually happening. There's a kitten, maybe even more than one, growing inside me. It's what we wanted, sure, but even after I became a queen I had my doubts as to whether this would actually work and now it has and it's happening and at first it seemed great and then I starting thinking about all kinds of things and it started to freak me out 'cause how do we know they won't hate us or cause all kinds of trouble for the tribe or turn out like Macavity or-"

"Stop right there Misto. Everything is going to be perfect." He took his free paw and caressed his mate's cheek. "We're going to have a beautiful kitten, or maybe a few beautiful kittens, and they'll be absolutely perfect, I promise." When he'd finished speaking he bent down and placed a tender kiss on Mistoffelees' lips.

"I don't know why I'm so scared all of a sudden Tug. All of this was my idea, it's what I wanted. Now it's happening and I'm terrified." He buried his face in Tugger's mane, needing to feel his mate close to him. Tugger put his arms around him and pulled him in tight.

"It's the same thing that happened to me right after you changed. It just became real, and like Jenny said yesterday, it's only natural for us to be terrified. It happens to normal couples, and even though we've never been totally normal, it's going to happen to us, and probably more so for it. But we've always made it through. Remember when we were kits? Nobody could ever fathom why we were such good friends. Remember when we first became mates? Everyone thought you were crazy for agreeing and they all thought I'd break your heart within the month. We've never been like everyone else - we've always gone beyond what they thought would work, and we're going to do that again now. We may be the only pair of toms to ever have our own biological kit, but I'll be damned if we're not the best damn parents that kit could ever want."

They stayed there together a while, needing nothing more than some quiet time with their mate. Neither of them knew what lay ahead of them on the road to parenthood, but frankly who did? They did know one thing though, and that was that they had each other. They'd beaten all the odds so far and deep down they knew that as long as they had each other they'd always be able to beat the odds no matter how bad things looked, and they knew they could handle whatever the universe was going to throw their way.


	5. Complications

_**A/N:**_ _After a rather long interlude, we are back! Thanks to Delphi for busting my ass about getting this one going again and for helping me with this chapter :) . I guess now that darling Misto is pregnant it would be a good idea to mention how I'll be treating the concept, at least biologically. Personally I tend to view & write the Jellicles as being closer to humans in terms of aging & reproduction, so it makes more sense for Misto to have a 9 month pregnancy rather than the 2 months of a normal feline. And now, without further ado, chapter 5..._

* * *

The following months passed without major incident. Rumor had it that Macavity had gone to Paris for some unknown reason, and there was a remarkably low number of accidents in the yard. Plato and Tumblebrutus had a bit of a scuffle after Tumble got caught flirting with Victoria, learning the hard way not to mess around with a jealous tom's queen. Pouncival and Bombalurina's secret affair somehow managed to become public knowledge, though from the look on his face Pouncival wasn't exactly upset about it becoming public knowledge. Jerrie and Teazer had a bit of an incident involving a butcher knife, three pollicles, marmalade, and some stolen sausages. Alonzo and Cassandra were on again and off again as usual. The cold months were a bit tougher than normal on Tugger and Mistoffelees, for obvious reasons, but they managed to come through it without incident. Except of course for the one time Tugger made a joke about Misto's rear that resulted in a rather large burn on his own. And the time that Tugger got knocked ass over teakettle off a pile of junk when Misto had to make a mad dash for some privacy after their coming kitten (or kittens) rather rudely kicked him in a rather uncomfortable spot.

Once the news of Mistoffelees' pregnancy spread throughout the tribe, and the shock wore off, there was a sense of added liveliness in the junkyard. There were a few that were skeptical and more than a bit judgemental about the ordeal, but they either grew to accept it or were silenced by Munkustrap or Deuteronomy. Victoria came to visit her brother every morning without fail, come hell or high water. Jenny stopped by at least once every few days, usually more often. Tugger's fan club had even taking to bringing extra food when they'd gather, though Mistoffelees often suspected that was less out of concern for him than it was to garner more favor with their idol.

According to Jenny, Mistoffelees was in perfect health. His kitten (they found out there was only one after the incident on the junk pile) was growing just as it should and gave no signs of anything but perfect health, assuming there were no outside complications during these final weeks of pregnancy. Naturally then, both Tugger and Mistoffelees were in high spirits as they wandered aimlessly through the junkyard on a pleasant spring evening. They found a quiet clearing, surrounded by abandoned refrigerators, sinks, dishwashers, and other assorted kitchen appliances, and sat down together. Mistoffelees curled into his mate, resting his paws on his now frightfully large stomach.

"Tired darling?" Tugger asked, gently massaging his thumbs into his Mistoffelees' shoulders.

"A little, a bit more sore than anything else... Oh Everlasting that feels good." His eyes quickly fell shut as he began to purr at his mate's touch. "Lower Tug..." The words came out a bit closer to a moan than he would've liked, but Tugger's paws were working magic on his back and feeling far too good for him to care. Tugger moved his paws down his spine inch by inch, rubbing each last pocket of tension, every ounce of soreness, away as they went. "Lower..." That was definitely a moan, but Mistoffelees was far beyond caring at this point. He was purring madly as his mate relaxed his muscles. His lower back had been monstrously sore from the extra weight. "Tug...? Tug! That isn't where I'm sore," he chided as Tugger's paws made their way to his rear.

"You never know where that stress will build up dear..." Tugger purred into his ear, paws not moving from their spot on his rear. "Besides, best to nip it in the butt before it becomes a problem." He emphasized his point with a not exactly subtle squeeze.

"The phrase is nip it in the _bud,_ Tug."

"Is it? You know I have such a hard time with these things..." Before Mistoffelees could respond, he was laying on his back and Tugger was straddling him. "Maybe you could help me out with that and a few other things I'm finding very hard?"

"I don't see anything particularly hard, Tug. Maybe you need a better set of tools and a bit of alone time to figure it out."

Before Tugger could respond, Mistoffelees cried out in pain and threw Tugger off him. He arched his back as he moaned and his body began to glow. Tugger froze in fear. Was Mistoffelees going into labor two weeks early? Was his magic causing problems? His mind raced as the glow became blinding and he had to shield his eyes as Mistoffelees shrieked and wailed. The moment the glowing subsided Tugger rushed back to his mate, cradling his mate in his arms as the tux continued quietly keening.

"Misto? Misto?! Are you alright?" he asked frantically. "Are you having contractions?"

"Tugger..." Mistoffelees could barely force the words out.

"I'm here love, I'm here."

"The spell... my magic..." the tux panted, wincing between words.

Tugger looked down at Mistoffelees' chest and his eyes grew wide with fear. The queenly bosom that had made half the tribe jealous was gone. Tugger shifted around to check the rest of Mistoffelees' body, terrified of what he was going to find. No, it'd be fine. There was nothing to worry about. He'd look and find the queen parts Mistoffelees had made for himself all those months ago and everything would be fine and they'd have their kitten and it would grow up healthy and strong and they'd be one happy family. He looked.

"Misto... now don't panic, there's nothing to worry about, everything's just fine. Except you've turned back into a tom."


	6. Fear

**_A/N:_** _This chapter, while a bit short, is entirely dedicated to the guest who left me a review on the last chapter. :) I need a good kick in the ass these days to get my chapters done, so thanks for that. For those who missed it last time, I'll reiterate that I'm treating jellicles more as hybrids than actual Cats in terms of reproduction, so be aware of that. Enjoy._

* * *

"Don't panic? This is the very definition of a time when one should panic Tug! I'm meant to deliver the kitten currently growing inside me in two weeks and I no longer have anywhere for it to come out of! I don't even know if it's still alive! What if our kitten is dead? What are we going to do then?" The fear in Mistoffelees' voice almost tangible as he squirmed in Tugger's arms.

"I don't know Misto, but you panicking certainly isn't going to help the situation any! We just need to keep calm- keep calm and-"

"Keep calm? KEEP CALM?! THERE IS A FUCKING KITTEN INSIDE OF ME WITH NO FUCKING HOLE TO COME OUT OF!"

"Tugger? Mistoffelees? Are you alright?" Munkustrap cried out as he ran into the clearing. "I heard Mistoffelees screaming..." He froze and his voice caught in his throat mid sentence. "Everlasting..." he gasped as his eyes widened in fear. "Misto... You're- You're a tom again!"

"Oh really? He's a tom again? We hadn't fucking noticed, Munk! Thank you so much for your most valuable insight!" Tugger snapped, his terror getting the better of him.

"Easy Tug..." Munkustrap said gently, kneeling down beside his brother. "Misto, this is gonna sound like a really stupid question... Are you alright? I mean I know you're not really alright, but are you injured?"

"I... I don't think so Munk..." Mistoffelees' voice shook. "What am I supposed to do? One of you, please, what the fuck am I supposed to do?" He finally broke, burying his face in Tugger's mane and sobbing uncontrollably. Tugger pulled him close and put on a strong front, but one look from him and Munkustrap could tell he was just as terrified as Mistoffelees. His eyes were begging Munkustrap for the same answer. _What do we do Munk?_

"Maybe this is too obvious, but can you use your magic? It seems to me you just mixed up your timeline a bit. Could you just turn yourself back into a queen again? The kitten is going to need to be nursed a while anyway, so maybe I'm wrong but as far as I can tell you wouldn't even need to change that spell you used."

Mistoffelees took a moment to collect himself and attempt to think about the situation rationally. Well, as rationally as one could think about magically changing into a queen, getting pregnant, and changing back two weeks before the kitten was due. "I... I don't know. In theory, if the kitten couldn't survive the change, it'd be dead by now, in which case there would be nothing to lose. But if it's alive, it can survive the change. In which case it should be okay if I cast the spell again."

"So it'll work then, Misto?" Tugger asked nervously.

"Again, it _should_ work. But I don't know what it might do to the kitten though. The kitten is connected to me. I don't know if that changes the way the spell should work, if it'll do the same thing to our kitten. And magic draws on my energy, which is the kitten's energy too. I don't know what might happen if I don't have enough energy of my own to cast the spell..." his voice trailed off, but his silence spoke volumes.

"But what's the alternative? Do nothing until the little one can figure out what's going on and slice its way out?"

"I agree with Tug, Misto," Munkustrap said calmly. "The longer we sit here the less likely the kitten is to be okay. Unless you happen to have a better idea?"

Tugger looked down at his mate before looking back at his brother and shaking his head. "We'll do it. We have to." Tugger helped Mistoffelees to his feet and took a few steps back, pulling Munkustrap away as well. Munkustrap gave him a questioning look, but the seriousness in Tugger's gaze was enough to tell him that this was not the time to be questioning things.

Mistoffelees gathered all his strength and began to cast the spell. Munkustrap and Tugger looked on as he began to glow again and his cries again pierced the evening air. Munkustrap reached out but Tugger caught him and held him back. Wordlessly telling him there was nothing they could do but wait and see what would happen. The glowing subsided and they saw Mistoffelees unsteady on his feet. They rushed over and caught him as he began to fall and eased him down onto the ground.

"Did it work?" Munkustrap asked nervously.

Tugger glanced over Mistoffelees, looking for signs of success. The tux's chest had again developed and he again had a certain scent to him that hadn't been present when he was a tom. "I think it did... Misto? Did it work?" Mistoffelees' eyes were screwed shut and he groaned loudly before nodding.

"What's wrong Mistoffelees?"

"It leaves him sore Munk. It-" Tugger was interrupted by a paw grabbing his mane and pulling it roughly. He yelped a bit, but refrained from anything more, knowing his mate was in pain.

"Look between my legs, Tug."

"Last time you gave me-"

"LOOK." There was no humor in Mistoffelees voice as he interrupted Tugger.

Tugger obeyed and surveyed the area. "I don't see anything that shouldn't be- oh Bast. Sweet Everlasting please tell me you chose a really odd time to relieve yourself Misto," Tugger said, attempting to hide his anxiety as he began to panic. "Because if you didn't that wet spot between your legs would mean your water just broke two weeks early."


	7. Delivery

The following moments were a blur for Tugger. He remembered scooping Mistoffelees into his arms and running. He remembered Munkustrap shouting as Mistoffelees quivered in his embrace. He remembered his own voice shouting inaudibly, the words falling onto his own deaf ears. He remembered fear. Fear for Mistoffelees. Fear for their kitten. Fear of their kitten. As he ran towards Jenny's den, Mistoffelees in his arms Munkustrap in tow he felt as if he was at the same time running towards a precipice of finality. A point of no return. He ran.

The nearer he drew to Jenny's den the louder and more frequent the other voices grew, calling out unintelligible words. Tugger's mind was already racing, full of fear, full of hope. He feared the worst, that the kitten would be stillborn or deformed. He hoped for the best, that their kitten would be as smart and witty as his mate, as handsome as him, and as talented as them both.

He burst through the entrance of Jenny's den, not bothering to knock or announce himself. "Jenny!" he hollered, standing just inside the den, wild eyed and disheveled, crushing his mate to his chest. His eyes darted around the den, trying to find her. He noted Munkustrap's absence, but wasn't about to waste time trying to figure out where his brother had gone.

"Everlasting, Tugger what is it?" Jenny asked, emerging from the back of the den, paws crossed over her chest. "I do have others to see to you know," she chided as Rumpleteazer poked her head out from the back of the den.

"Misto- he- his water broke!" Tugger panted, trying to steady his voice. "We were over in a a clearing and I was giving him a massage and we were laughing and he turned back into a tom and was screaming and Munkustrap came and he turned back into a queen and then his water broke and we don'tknow what's happening with the kitten!" Tugger blurted, hardly stopping for breath.

"Slow down Tugger. What happened?" Jenny was obviously taken aback by the tidal wave of information that had cascaded over her. She blinked at Tugger, unsure if she'd heard what she thought she'd heard.

"Misto and I were alone in a clearing-"

"Short version, Tugger," Jenny said, holding up a paw.

"Mistoffelees turned back into a tom and then made himself a queen again then his water broke," Tugger replied, breathing deeply to steady his nerves.

"Bast, we have to hurry then. Under normal circumstances I'd be worried a bit if the kitten was early, but this? I don't even know what to think. Set him down on the blankets there. Teazer, since you're here go find some water."

"Is he-"

"Tugger, don't you even _think_ about starting any of that," Jenny said, cutting him off. "Now put him down. I know you don't want to let go of him right now, but we need to be ready for when the time comes." Tugger complied, gently laying his mate down on Jenny's blankets, kissing his forehead and taking his paw. "Now Mistoffelees, tell me what you're feeling..."

The rest of what was said was lost on Tugger. His mind was spinning, a maelstrom of emotion. He remembered the day Mistoffelees had had his first bought of morning sickness. He remembered how scared, how lost his mate had looked when he began facing the reality of their situation. He remembered being so certain of all the things he told Mistoffelees that morning, that their kitten would be normal and healthy, that it would grow up and lead a happy life and that everything would be perfect. But as he sat there beside his mate he could feel the dread creeping in. What if he'd been wrong? What if their kitten wasn't healthy? What if their kitten was like Macavity?

"Tugger... Tugger!" He was forced back to reality by the sound of his brother's voice and the feeling of his paw on his arm. "Come on Tugger, you need to get some air."

"But I have to stay here with-"

"Tugger, you're hardly here right now," his mate interrupted. "This is happening, and I need you here with me. Jenny says we still have time before the kitten arrives so go get some air and get back in here so we can meet our kitten." Tugger couldn't help but be surprised by the fortitude in his mate's voice. He looked up at Jenny, Munkustrap, and Rumpleteazer, who'd finally returned with the water, all of them gazing down on him with gentle eyes. He looked down into his mate's eyes and saw the same fear he was feeling.

Munkustrap led him outside where he was immediately hit by a wall of clamoring voices. They were asking all sorts of questions about him, Mistoffelees, the kitten. His head began to spin and he felt unsteady. Munkustrap caught him and eased him down to sit on the exposed edge of a crate before addressing the crowd. Tugger paid no attention to Munkustrap's words - he knew what his brother would be saying anyway. He'd be asking the others to give them privacy, that there was no news yet, and all the rest of the things he always said when something happened.

Tugger blocked the world out as he focused on breathing, forcing himself to focus on nothing but counting his breaths until his mind was calmed. He had to get back in there. He had to be his mate's rock, his anchor. His mate was about to give birth to their kitten, this was no time to show any hint of weakness. He stood and walked back into the den.

"I'm ready."

"Good," Jenny said softly. She was on the blankets beside Mistoffelees, cooling his brow with a damp cloth, brushing a comforting paw over his shoulder. Rumpleteazer sat in Tugger's place, holding the tux's paw, reassuring him. She gave Tugger a soft smile as he took back his place beside his mate. "So far everything is going smoothly. The contractions are going to start coming sooner and sooner, and they'll grow stronger as they quicken so be ready. This is the final stretch..."

Again things became hazy for Tugger. Mistoffelees began to scream and tightened his grip on Tugger's paw, nearly crushing it. Through it all he keep himself strong, putting aside his fears so he could support his mate...

"One last push Misto!" Jenny said encouragingly. "Almost there!" Mistoffelees shrieked into Tugger's ear and tightened his grip on his paw. As the ringing in his ear died down, he began to hear soft mewing. He looked over to Jenny and saw her looking down at a small bundle of black and white fur. "Congratulations boys," she said softly. "You have a son." Tugger looked at the tom kit in her arms, marveling at what he was seeing. A son. His son. Their son. "Come hold him, Tugger."

Tugger took the kitten gently into his arms, seeing his son for the first time. He vaguely heard his brother and Rumpleteazer congratulating him and gushing over his son, but all he could focus on was the squirming kitten in his arms. He beamed with pride when he saw his son had inherited his mane. His mane and face were white, as were his paws. The rest of his fur was silky jet black, save for bands of white on his forearms and thighs. If he wasn't his son, Tugger would've been jealous of him.

"Look at him Misto, he's beautiful," Tugger whispered as passed the kitten over to his mate. He couldn't help but be overwhelmed at the sight when he handed the kitten to Mistoffelees. His stunning mate and his perfect son. His family. Any fears he'd had about becoming a father and having a family melted away right then and there. One look at the two most important toms in his life and he knew that there was nothing they couldn't handle as long as they had each other.

"Do you have a name for him?" Munkustrap asked, looking almost as proud as if it were his own kitten.

Mistoffelees and Tugger glanced at each other before Mistoffelees spoke.

"Sinclaire."

~Fin

* * *

 _Well there you have it queens and toms. I hope you've enjoyed this fic, even if it did take far too long to be completed. Love to those who encouraged and reviewed me, both publicly and privately. Finally, I'd like to dedicate this story to Delphi and thank her for everything._

 _Love,_

 _~AA406_


End file.
